Writing, screenwriting and leaping short buildings in a single bound.

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Since last we spoke

Over the past month and a half I’ve packed up and moved my life from Providence to New York City. I woke up in a sunny Brooklyn apartment this morning and my first thought was,

“Crap, I have no internet yet.”

And then,

“I have no hot water yet, either.”

In that order. I loathe typing on my phone – even texting or Facebook messages. It feels like the 2013 equivalent of Morse code (even swiping). But I thought I should check in since I dropped off the face of the earth for longer than usual.

I haven’t been writing in the sitting down banging away at a keyboard sense, but I have in the recording everything in my head sense. I guess moving anywhere is a lot, but NYC is enormous and complicated, not to mention ridiculously paced. Decisions have to be made instantly or you get off at the wrong parkway exit and head into the Bronx in a fourteen foot moving truck.

I digress.

On the other hand, it’s always been one of the warmest, most genuinely human cities I’ve known. I know that flies in the face of stereotype (and it’s often well-concealed), but it’s true. You want the definition of “we’re all in the same boat,” it’s when the doors close on the 4 train and everyone from the CEO to the homeless guy is there pressed together at the mercy of the MTA.

Yeah, when they get off the train they go to very different places, but in many cities they’d never end up standing shoulder to shoulder at all, ever.

That’s the most amazing realization I’ve had so far…you can’t easily segregate or shelter yourself in this city. We’re all thrown in together in this jostling, arrogant and very human crowd, on sidewalks, in subways, in elevators and grocery stores. It makes for stories.

I’ve had another realization…I have to get better about food shopping. The hipster grocery I’m frequenting is like food shopping at a hotel gift shop. Pricey.

Thanks John, and sorry for the delay. I’ve been having a remarkable amount of trouble getting internet set up here in the capital of the world, Right now I’m using my phone as a hotspot. I guess infrastructure goes where the money is…and I’m in the hood!

Thank you for reminding me of what’s important. I found coffee first. Then I worried about the fact that there was no hot water in my building. And now I’m working on internet. One of these days I’ll go see if there’s anything to eat around here…